Tag Archives: Theodulf

Comparing and contrasting the epitaphs for Hildegard and Fastrada, Charlemagne’s third and fourth wives, can lead some misreading between the lines.

When they died—Hildegard in 783 and Fastrada in 794—Charles treated them the same. He had them interred with honors within a church, the most desirable of hallowed ground. He donated land to the Church and paid for Masses on behalf of their souls, and he commissioned epitaphs. Paul the Deacon is loquacious in his praise for Hildegard. What Theodulf wrote for Fastrada is shorter:

“Here lie the glorious remains of Queen Fastrada, whom cold death snatched away in the bloom of life. Noble by birth, she was united in marriage to her mighty husband, and nobler still, she is now united to the King of Heaven. The better part of her soul, King Charles himself, she left behind, to whom a merciful God may grant long life.”

Theodulf was famous for a lengthy poem lauding the royal family, so scholars have speculated on whether the epitaph’s brevity means something.

Was Fastrada so awful that Theodulf had a hard time finding something nice to say about her and was being tactful? If Theodulf had also written Hildegard’s epitaph, I would give credence to that.

Instead, I’ll provide a little speculation of my own. It is possible Paul’s grief drove him to write verse upon verse while Theodulf’s impaired him. Having supervised an obit desk, I can attest that grief affects everyone differently. Theodulf’s later poem praising Charles’s family was crafted under different circumstances. We don’t know how long it took the poet to compose or how many revisions he made.

Theodulf’s attitude toward women comes into play as well. He did write “A Woman’s Wiles,” urging men not to be manipulated by their wives. But when he refers to the king as “the better part of her soul,” he likely is referring to Fastrada and Charles’s close relationship—the original meaning of “better half.”

Perhaps, we are complicating something simple. Theodulf might have been acknowledging the grief of a bereaved husband while trying to comfort him. He says Fastrada is “united with the King of Heaven” yet left her husband all too soon.

Perhaps I was being unfair to Carolingian poet Theodulf who wrote the epitaph for Queen Fastrada. He says that she leaves behind King Charles (Charlemagne), whom he calls “the better part of her soul.”

I rolled my eyes, thinking he meant “superior.” What would I expect from a guy who wrote a poem warning husbands not to be manipulated by their wives? (People who are familiar with Theodulf will point out that he was a great poet of his age and he wrote a long poem praising Charles and his family. Both true, but he also did write “A Woman’s Wiles.”)

Then I came across a variation of “better half” while researching a post on Saint Lioba. In her final farewell to Frankish Queen Hildegard, Lioba kissed her and called her “most precious half of my soul.”

Perhaps the Franks attributed a different meaning to this common phrase. According to A Dictionary of Slang and Its Analogues, “better half” goes back to the Romans and originally meant more than half of one’s being, as in an intimate friend.

What Theodulf might have been getting at was that Fastrada and Charles had a close relationship, despite an age difference (probably about 20 years), a marriage made for political reasons, and a son from a previous marriage who tried to overthrow his dad.

Love was not a requirement for marriage in Carolingian Francia. Heck, husband and wife didn’t even have to like each other. So it makes Theodulf’s observation all the more poignant.

The 1882 Costumes of All Nations depicts Frankish King Charles the Bald and a woman of rank.

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About Me

I write fiction set in early medieval times, an intersection of faith, family, and power. My latest release is Queen of the Darkest Hour, in which Fastrada must stop a conspiracy before it shatters the realm. For more about me and my fiction, visit kimrendfeld.com or contact me at kim [at] kimrendfeld [dot] com.

Queen of the Darkest Hour

Short Story: Betrothed to the Red Dragon

The Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar

The Cross and Dragon

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